Quicksilver Messenger Service; John Hammond& his Screaming Nighthawks; Lloyd, Charles; Griffin, Rick; Hillyard, Roger; van Meter, Ben

Original Concert Poster: Quicksilver Messenger Service, John Hammond & his Screaming Nighthawks, Charles Lloyd ("Goldrush," April 21-22, 1967)

San Francisco, CA: Family Dog Productions, 1967. First Edition. Single Sheet. A poster (appx. 14" x 20") announcing a concert entitled "Goldrush" with performances headlined by the Quicksilver Messenger Service, along with John Hammond & his Screaming Nighthawks and Charles Lloyd, during April 21-22, 1967 at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco. The legendary psychedelic artist Rick Griffin (b. Richard Alden Griffin, 1944-1991) created the artwork & graphics reproduced here, & "Rick Griffin" in facsimile hand-lettering is found at blank white lower right side margin just below/ parallel with orange border of image, near lower right corner (see image). Credited for "Lights" is "The North American Ibis Alchemical Company," a memorably named incarnation of Roger Hillyard, Ben van Meter & Co. Hillyard (b. 1942) was highly involved with the exemplary psychedelic light shows of this era, later became the proprietor of a popular coffee shop, & most recently the practicing resident of a Zen Buddhist center- all in San Francisco. Van Meter (b. 1941) was also a major light show producer & experimental filmmaker at this time, & still engages in cutting-edge creativity as of this writing. According to the Talmudic scholarship we have consulted regarding this poster (which is similar in its depth to that of our underground comix from this period), this copy is a first printing, with "light to medium green" (as opposed to "darker green" for the second printing) inner border & some letters/graphics. King, FD-58-OP-1, pg. 121. King's commentary here is sparse: "The central image is the Native American from the Family Dog logo emerging from a winged pot." (pg. 121) The visual pun is obvious. Another iconic exemplar of the Griffin psychedelic style that was reaching its apex that year only two months before the "Summer of Love," in its rarest contemporary form. From the collection of Dion Wright (b. 1937), an acclaimed & prolific artiste & sculptor who was at the center of the scene that produced this & the many other exuberant posters that symbolize a fabled time & place (see Wright's memoir, Tempus Fugitive, item No. 5008). In our sharp & seasoned estimation, this poster is in relatively very fine condition with only mild rubbing & browning to mostly blank white outer margins (central image appears entirely bright & pristine); a bit of wear & some tiny bumps, faint creases at/near edges & corners of same. This item is too delicate to be rolled & must be shipped flat to assure no damage, therefore extra shipping costs will be required. Very Fine. [Item #5706]

Price: $200.00